The purpose of art is to objectively realize what is good, true, and beautiful. It will achieve this by means of drawing, sculpting, painting, print making, and cursive writing.  

Course Goals: 

• To recognize and create beauty 

• To understand the elements of art (line, shape, value, etc.) 

• To recognize and create in two and three dimensions 

• To compose an image 

• To gain a basic understanding of art history 

• To strengthen the connection between the eye and the hand 

• To improve time management 

Participation in choir benefits the student immensely.  Students build confidence to create beauty on their own through the exploration of their natural voices. Students also gain an understanding of the rich history of liturgical music through chant and song, allowing them to actively participate in liturgy with the fullness of their voice. 

• Integrated with the Chesterton Academy of Akron  

• Participation in sacred music through chant and song 

• Participation in a full choir with performances appropriate to liturgical seasons 

• Opportunity to learn music theory 

Drama brings students into a discovery of self and ability. Drama helps them develop a clear speaking voice and a mastery of the cadence of speech. It further teaches students how to work in an intensely communal experience in which players rely on each other for their best performance.  

• Integrated with the Chesterton Academy of Akron 

• Participation in full production annually including stage management and performance 

• Opportunities to grow in confidence and skill. 

An introduction to New Testament Greek allows students to become familiar with a biblical language which also served as a foundational language for the building of Western Civilization. Further, the introduction of a foreign language with a foreign alphabet allows students to break down their biases about how a language sounds, syntax and grammar rules, and how letters are formed. 

Course Goals: 

• To learn and reproduce the Greek alphabet 

• To learn the sounds of the Greek language and experience the contrast of these sounds to English through pronunciation 

• To apply basic etymology through vocabulary acquisition 

• To better understand English grammar by learning Greek grammar. 

The purpose of history is to become familiar with the world around oneself in relation to present and previous times.  Further, the study of other cultures and conflicts and the historical reshaping of borders help students understand a common human experience.  

This course intentionally prepares students for further study in a classical high school by giving an overview of the histories which will be studied later.   

History is divided across two years of concentration.   

Year A: Who We Are 

Course Goals: 

• American History 

• Ohio History 

• Diocesan History 

• Modern American and World Geography 

Year B: What Shaped Us 

Course Goals: 

• Ancient Greek History 

• Ancient Roman History 

• Ancient World Geography 

The purpose of literature is to foster an appreciation of stories and to improve the mechanics of writing.  There will be an intentional emphasis on teaching students how to read and annotate books and a thorough introduction to basic grammar and diagramming of sentences. 

Literature is divided across two years of concentration.   

Year A will focus on American literature through the study of poetry, short stories, and novels. A sampling of authors includes Emily Dickenson, Washington Irving, Frederick Douglass, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, etc. and an introduction to philosophy through writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Year A will focus on grammar and diagramming sentences. 

Year B will focus on ancient literature through the study of myth and novel.  Examples include readings about the Trojan War, common Greek and Roman mythology, and Aesop fables. Year B will focus on skilled writing with an emphasis on sentence, paragraph, and essay structure.  

Both years will enjoy reading selections of The Father Brown mysteries of G. K. Chesterton. 

The goal for students is to finish Algebra I by the end of their eighth-grade year. By offering a math period consistent with the Chesterton Academy of Akron, St. Thomas More Junior Classical happily announces that it can potentially accept students starting at Math 7 through Calculus. 

Prior to admittance, students will take an entrance exam to place them in an appropriate math class according to their personal proficiency.  Because all math classes are offered simultaneously with the Chesterton Academy of Akron, a student can take whichever math course is best suited for him or her regardless of grade level. This unique format allows us to easily accommodate students of varying math abilities.

The study of science is especially the study of “ek stasis” or looking beyond oneself to examine the created world. Therefore, this course will emphasize observation of the natural world through intentional interaction with it. Students might take walks to learn about local flora and fauna, create sourdough bread to experience a fungus, create simple machines and actively experiment with Newton’s Laws of Physics. 

Science is divided across two years of concentration.  Year A will focus on biology and Year B will focus on physics. Chemistry will be integrated into both years. 

The goal of theology is to bring the student into a personal relationship with the Living and True God through a study of how they are beautifully and wonderfully created. There will be an emphasis on the memorization of the St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism to deepen the students’ faith and enable them to more deeply discuss and internalize that faith. They will also learn basic prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary, etc.) in Latin for a fuller participation in Church culture. In addition to the catechism, students will read primary works of the popes as well as writings and homilies of the Church Fathers.